20040726016599A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Little Valley, CA · July 26, 2004

Date: July 26, 2004 · 15:05 local
Place: Little Valley, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: CAXA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N549W
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA281
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,549 total740 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

N549WRegistration cancelled Dec 11, 2006 · Bell 206BS/N 2604 · Built 1979 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250 SER 400HPTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The helicopter collided with trees and terrain while cruising about 4.9 miles southeast of Little Valley CA. Ground based witnesses observed the helicopter flying between 50 & 75 feet AGL. The temperature was approximately 90 degrees fahrenheit. The helicopter was cruising in a downwind direction, over the 5100 mean sea level upsloping terrain.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN WHILE CRUISING ABOUT 4.9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LITTLE VALLEY CA. GROUND BASED WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLYING BETWEEN 50 & 75 FEET AGL. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE HELICOPTER WAS CRUISING IN A DOWNWIND DIRECTION, OVER THE 5100 MEAN SEA LEVEL UPSLOPING TERRAIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04LA281Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLittle Valley, CAthe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from objects and terrain while maneuvering at low altitude. Factors in the accident were the high, rising terrain, and the high density altitude.Jul 26, 2004 · Destroyed